Got my job offer today

I'll be flat out. I make $20 an hour with no benefits. Hey, I needed the job. I get paid hourly, I like the company (T-shirt and jeans) and the work is comfortable. Not too many challenges but plenty of places to go in the company.

So last night I had to put the pressure on them about the permanent hire. On the way out, we talked and at the end I was asked what my first offer is:

"Twenty Two"

"Oh.. well.. Don't sell yourself short"

Ok, so I go home and tonight on my way out They give me the offer. She walks into the boardroom with a big smile on her face and she says "I really think you're going to like what we worked out.."

I opened the folder and looked - astonished. $26...... Thousand a year.

"When I said twenty two.. I meant hourly. I can't even live on this so when I say no, I'm not surpressing my laughter - I seriously can't live on that. I make that doing my side work as an autobody tech."

Without skipping a beat "Well, if you work here permanently you'll need to drop that job"

The extras: 100% health coverage. lots of vacation time (2 weeks a year), profit sharing that could be over $1000 easily and I can work in either CT or NC for the same pay.

Fuck that, if you work part time for $20/hr and they offer you full time work it's cause they think your worth more then $20/hr. They're trying to feel you out. Do the math at $22/hr and figure out what it comes to a year, then tell then you want $6000 more then that number a year. The reason they said 24K is because they thought u meant 22K. And she was smiling cause she thought you would jump on it and she would look great to her bosses buy getting you for so little. Just explain u meant $22/hr, tell them what you do want, and IF you feel like they view you as an asset hit them with this:

I looked into it and did the math. Even down in North Carolina $26k is shit pay. NC is cheaper than CT, but you can't say it's half the price. Houses are half the cost, but gas and food and other living expenses are about a few pennies less here and there.

In CT I can make $25 at a permanent job that I enjoy and doesn't kill me. But a house alone costs a TON of money so developing in CT makes less and less sense.

I like North Carolina, and I can come to work here in CT at any time (Like spend time with family and friends during the year). I would no longer have a winter car, which would be odd. But I also wouldn't have $300 a month heating bills. CT weather in the summer is hot because of it's stupid levels of humidity, but I'm not sure if I could take the South for it's weather either. The two areas are a 12 hour ride each way.